"Deer Jane"

I. Deer Jane”

a

BY

ISABEL CECILIA WILLIAMS

NEW YORK

P. J. KENEDY & SONS 44 Barclay Street

Copyrighted, 1911 ,

By P. J. KENEDY & SONS.

i

Contents

CHAPTER PAGE

I. A Bolt from the Blub 5

II. The Broken Slate 26

Chapter I. A Bolt From The Blue

Jane Preston, opening the door of her small flat and entering quickly, found herself confronted by three pairs of reproachful eyes, brown, blue, and gray respectively. The expression of the three faces was curious to see. Roger’s wore a look of deepest concern and anxiety, Dickie’s was a funny mixture of worry and boyish impatience, while Elaine’s pretty countenance was disfigured by a frown of petulant anger. The expression of the voices as each spoke

in turn, exactly matched the faces.

DEEE JANE.’

“ Why, Jane, what could have happened to keep you so late! We were terribly anxious about you,” said Roger.

“ Yes, indeed. Sis, we’ve been in a nice state on your account. Roger’s been walking up and down like a caged wild animal and I was just going to put on my hat and go out to telephone to all the hospitals and police stations in town.”

“And of course,” this from Elaine in a tone of injured dignity. “ Of course, you couldn’t possibly remember that Roger had promised to take us all to the theater to-night and you’d told him to be sure and come over for supper so’s he’d be here in time. Well, Roger’s here early enough, Dickie and I are here, and you and the supper walk in just about the time we should be in our seats watching the curtain go up.”

Jane’s face was drawn with fatigue and very white, but she laid aside the parcels she was carrying and smiled brightly as she turned to the three who were watching her.

“ You dear people, I am so very sorry to have kept you waiting. I was busy over there at the office and honestly I had no idea that it was so late. I’ll tell you all about it by and by, but don’t ask any questions now. Never mind about the theater, Elaine, we can go to-morrow night just as well. You blessed child, your face will be a wrinkled old woman’s long before you are my age if you will persist in frowning like that cross little bulldog in the flat upstairs. That’s better, baby. You should never do anything but smile, for you are really almost pretty when you smile,” and Jane pulled her little sister’s ear playfully, patted Dickie on the shoulder, and threw a friendly smile to the man whose brown eyes had not yet lost their expression of worry.

“ But, dearie me, dearie me, let’s not stand here all night grinning like monkeys. All of you come and help with the supper so as to hurry it along, for I am simply starving. Elaine, you and Roger may lay the table and attend to affairs in the dining-room while Richard and I cook a perfectly beautiful steak I bought on my way home.”

“Oh! I say, Jane,” expostulated Roger. “Isn’t that putting it a bit strong, you know? Kindly respect my artistic temperament and do not ask me to apply an adjective like beautiful to a piece of raw meat.”

“Very well, Roger,” Jane laughed back at him as she marshalled her forces to the dining-room and kitchen.

“If you have no more respect than that for my ability to select what I shall persist in calling a beautiful steak, you shall not have one scrap of it to eat. If you behave very prettily, we may give you the bone.”

“ Lucky dog to get even a bone, I suppose,” returned Roger.

Preparations for the meal progressed amid a gale of merriment and badinage flung back and forth between the two in the dining-room and the two in the kitchen. It was an established fact that laughter followed in Jane Preston’s footsteps. Roger had once said of her :

“ I think when Jane is going to her own funeral she will And some way of turning the mourners’ tears into laughter or at least, into quiet peace and happiness. I have yet to meet the pall of gloom which Jane's gentle tact and ready sympathy will not dispel.”

To-night, she was the life of the party, but there was a something underlying her gayety which made Roger watch her with scarcely hidden anxiety. Something on her mind,” he thought. Wonder what it is ? ” When the steak had been pronounced a most decided success and four well-fed and apparently thoroughly contented people were nibbling at some freshly roasted peanuts which Roger, strange to say, had found in his coat pocket, Jane pushed away her plate and cup and saucer. Deliberately placing her elbows on the space left vacant, she laid one hand over the other and rested her chin on the back of the uppermost hand. Roger knew the gesture of old. In fact, he thought to himself, were there any little tricks and gestures of hers he did not know by heart and understand perfectly.

Jane smiled a queer little smile at each one in turn and drew a long breath as though preparing for a plunge.

Out with it at once, Jane ; you’ll feel better when you get it out of your system,” counseled Roger.

Out with what, Roger ? What do you mean ? ” Jane looked at him rather nervously.

“ Oh ! whatever it is that’s been on your mind and bothering you ever since you came in to-night.”

Jane flushed ever so slightly.

Well, folkses,” she began, rubbing her chin on the back of her hand and watching curiously for the effect of her words on her listeners. I have something to tell you all and I do hope you will feel as happy over it as I do.”

She may feel happy, but she don’t look it,” conflded Roger to his teacup.

“ DEEB JANE.'

“ And this that I have to tell you is the reason I was so late to-night. I was obliged to remain at the office to finish up a number of small odds and ends before handing the keys over to my successor.”

“ Your successor ! ” The exclamation fiashed from three throats simultaneously. There was no doubt as to the effect of her words thus far.

“ Yes, my successor,” went on Jane quietly. “ When I left the factory to-night, I left it never to return, at least, in the capacity of employee.”

“ But I say. Sis, what are you going to do? What are we all going to do if you quit working? And how did it happen, did old Alford fire you ? If he did . . .” and Eichard’s hashing eyes and clenched fists spoke volumes.

“ I do not believe Mr. Alford would do that,” interposed Roger gently, his grave eyes seeking to read Jane’s face.

I do not see where or how he could find a substitute for our Jane. Go on, Jane, tell us about it.”

“ You are right in one surmise, Roger,” and Jane laughed, a trifie unsteadily it must be admitted, ^^and wrong in the other. I left a very excellent substitute to take my place when I closed the office door to-night. It is a most estimable young man with carroty hair and a squint. He has brains though, so with a little careful training I think he may be able to do as well as yours truly. However, Mr. Alford did not ‘ fire ’ me, as Dickie expresses it. He has offered me another and a better position.”

Oh ! goodie, goodie ! ” this from the hitherto silent but watchful small sister. “That’ll mean more money and a new dress forme, won’t it, Janey dear ? ”

“ Yes, baby, it will mean ever and ever so much more money and new clothes and good times for us all.”

“ Go on, Jane,” Eoger’s voice was stern now, and ominously quiet. What is the new position he has offered you ? ”

“ He has asked me to be his wife, Eoger,” replied Jane simply ; “ and I have promised to become Mrs. Alford one month from to-day.”

Dead silence greeted Jane’s statement. Eoger’s face slowly paled and his mouth set in a hard, straight line, Eichard and Elaine gasped in openmouthed amazement.

Jane glanced quickly from one to another.

“ Well, whatails you all ; aren’t you pleased with my news ? ”

“ Pleased ! ” and Eichard sprang to his feet and banged his chair in under the table. “ Look here. Sis, if this is a joke, I think it has gone quite far enough. John Alford is nearly as old as Jimmy Jones’s grandfather. You mustn’t think of marrying him, not for a moment. ”

But, Dickie boy, think what it will mean to all of us. We can have every, thing we want without working for it any more. Mr. Alford is not very young, but he is good and kind. He has done everything for us, as you know, and I am sure we are all going to be very, very happy. Eoger, will not you, my best friend and old playmate, help me show Richard how grateful we should be to Mr. Alford, who might choose among the loveliest ladies in the land, for wishing to honor poor little me by making me Mrs. Alford? Roger, please,” and Jane reached an imploring hand across the table to the man who had been her playmate in childhood, her best friend always.

“ DEEB JANE.'

Roger rose to his feet, his face livid. Jane rose, too, and faced him calmly dignified, if thoroughly surprised and hurt.

“ Jane,” and the voice was so hard and bitter she could not believe it was really Roger who was speaking.

“ Jane, there is only one thing I can say and it is this. All my life, I have honored you, idealized you, regarded you as the one perfect woman on God’s earth. Now, I see you are like all the rest, worse than many of them, in fact. You would sell yourself to that heartless old cynic of an Alford (oh ! don’t protest, I know the reputation he enjoys) and all for the sake of his money. What will not money do, when it can buy even Jane Preston ! Jane Preston, Jane, the one and only perfect creature in the wide, wide world. What a joke, what a joke, and the joke is on me ! Good-bye, Jane Preston. As Mrs. John Alford, may you have all the happiness you so richly deserve.” In a towering passion, Roger flung out of the room and a moment later they heard the house door close with a resounding bang.

For a space, Jane stood silent and immovable, her face pale as death, her hand pressed to her side as though to still some pain there. Then Elaine’s voice broke in, replete with childish anger.

“ Now just see what you have done, you and your old Mr. Alford between you. You’ve broken Roger’s heart, so you have. Everybody knew he was just stuck on you though you never seemed to notice it. Why, all the people I know on this street speak of him as my sister’s beau and ask me when you are going to get hitched. I think he’s the handsomest, nicest, best man ever lived and I’m going to ask him to wait till I grow up. I’ll marry him myself one of these days, just see if I don’t.”

Jane’s gentle calm never wavered and she looked sadly into the mutinous gray eyes as she said quietly :

“ Little sister, those remarks of the neighbors which you say were repeated in your hearing, prove to me most conclusively that it is time I took you away from such vulgar associations. Come, children, come into my sitting-room, for I must have a very serious talk with both my bad little babies. There noAV, we’ll all sit here in the darkness just as we have sat so many, many times since you two and big sister were left alone in the world to be all in all to one another. Dickie boy, answer me one question. Since mother and father went away to Heaven, has not sister done all she could to be mother, father, and big sister, all in one, to you two little people ? ”

“ You bet you have. Sis, and that’s why we hate to have you marry an old man like Mr. Alford, when you could have had our dear, good Eoger for the asking.”

“ Well, Dickie, I never intended asking Roger to marry me, so please leave him out of it entirely. You can never know all Mr. Alford did for father and mother when I was a small girl and you two were only little babies. You can never know all he did for me when father and mother died. And now, he wishes to take care of us all and will be very, very good to us.”

“ But we don’t need him to take care of us. You’ve done that for six years now and I’ll soon be grown up and then I’ll take care of you. I’m fourteen, you know, and I help a little even now, don’t I, Sis?”

“ You help a great deal, dear, and I am sure in a few years you could support us all very nicely. But, Dickie, I’m afraid Sister could not hold out for those few years. I am not overstrong, dearie, and am very, very tired. If anything happened to Sister, where would her boy and girl be then ? ”

“You’re not really sick, are you. Sis ? ” and the boy’s voice was anxious.

“No, no, dear, not really sick, but very tired. Besides, even if I could hold out until you are ready to assume the burden, I do not want either of my children to settle into a mere drudge for life. I want you both to be something, to do something really worth while. You, Dickie, must go to college, then, choose whatever career you seem best fitted for. Mr. Alford will see you through. Elaine shall go to some good boarding school and I think her specialty will be music. How would you like to have a piano of your very own, baby ?

“A really, truly, shiney all over piano, not a cracked, dirty, all out of tune one like the old thing that the people downstairs let me practise on now ? ”

Yes, dear, a really, truly piano, the best money can buy.”

^^And, Janey dear, would we ride in his big red automobile, and have silk dresses, and chicken every day for dinner ? ”

“We certainly would, dear, and above all, we would have the kindest, best and most generous of men to take care of us always. You cannot know him as I do, but when you do know him, you will love and honor him— as I do,” she added after a barely perceptible pause.

Two hours later, when Jane had tucked her charges safely away for the night, she sat in the old rocker in her shabby sitting-room which was lighted only by the reflection of an electric light on the street outside. She gazed into the darkness, thinking of Roger whom she regarded as her best and truest friend. How could he hurt her so very, very cruelly? At the thought, hot tears sprang to her eyes and dropped unheeded on her folded hands. A little white flgure stole noiselessly in and stood beside her.

I say. Sis.”

Yes, Dickie.”

Do you really and truly want to do this?”

I really and truly want it, Dickie. I want it more than I ever wanted anything in my whole life.”

“What are you crying for, then?”

“ Am I crying, dear ? I did not know it.”

A short silence, then :

“ Dickie boy.”

“What is it. Sis?”

“ Can you remember when you were just a wee little laddie and used to climb up on my lap and ask me to rock you to sleep ? Don’t you suppose, Dickie, we could just pretend you were my little, little baby again and let me hold you as I used to ? ”

“ I’m afraid I’m too big. Sis,” rather doubtfully, “ and that a good deal of me would be spilling off onto the floor. But I tell you what ! I’ll put my arm around you, so. You lean your head on my shoulder and I’ll hold you. That’ll be sort of turn about, won’t it? But why you should cry just because we’re all going to do the ‘ live happy ever after ’ stunt they talk about in the fairy tales, passes me. I guess us men don’t know much about girls any way.”

“ Dickie, you scamp, what are you talking about ? Us men, indeed ! You may be too big for me to rock you to sleep, but you’re not too big to be spanked. If you stand there another second catching cold as fast as you can. I’ll forget big you are and give you a genuine, old-fashioned spanking. Off to bed this minute, sir.”

A sudden flash of white across the room and Dickie had disappeared bedwards.

Presently in a very sleepy voice : “I say, Sis.”

“ Yes, Dickie.”

“ Will he give me a red automobile, all my own, do you think ? ”

“ He probably will if you are a very good boy.”

Prolonged silence, and then :

“ Si-is.”

“ Yes, dear.”

And will he . . . send me to . . . college ... to learn . . . to . . . be . . .”

But what Dickie was going to learn to be, Jane did not find out till some time later. Master Richard was safe in the land o f dreams watching a long line of stern college professors march past him with books under their arms, fiaming automobile headlights instead of eyes, and rubber-tired wheels where their ears ought to be.

Chapter II. The Broken Slate

Roger stood with his back to the room and beat a restless tattoo upon the window pane. Jane sewed quietly, sitting in her chair by the table and listening to alternate exclamations of annoyance and squeals of delight from the two children busily engaged in a game of Parchesi in the kitchen.

“ Well,” said the man at the window curtly, not turning around and not ceasing for even a second that quick, nervous tapping. “ Why did you send for me, Jane? I should think you would never care to see me again after . . . after last night.”

Jane’s face was very tired and she looked up sadly at the broad back turned so resolutely towards her, but her voice was steady and as sweet and kind as usual.

I sent for you, Eoger, because we have always been such good, good friends that it would nearly break my heart to feel we had parted in anger. Tell me, can you ever remember a time when we were not friends, you and I ? ”

No answer from the window save that ceaseless tattoo. Jane’s gentle voice continued

“ Why, even when we were little children, Eoger, and I scarcely able to toddle along beside you, do you remember how you used to come every day and take me for a walk and show me the beautiful things in the store windows? Mother used to say she would trust me anywhere with Eoger, he was so steady and reliable though only two years older than I.”

Still no answer from the window.

“ DEER JANE.”

“ Then the day you first went to school and I cried nearly all day because I wanted to go with you and they said I was too young. And then, Roger, the day I first went to school. Do you remember how proudly you took me by the hand and introduced me to the teacher as your little sister ” ? You always called me Sis in those days just as Dickie does now. I was so proud of my big brother who looked after me and petted and shielded me and fought my battles for me. You used to be very patient with me then and I must have tried you sorely at times. I had a nasty little temper even if you won’t admit it now. I often pulled your hair and tried to scratch you and bite you but you were always so good, so good to me. And once, surely you remember that awful day, on the way home from school I snatched your brand new slate and smashed it on the

THE BROKEN SLATE.

sidewalk because you were writing a note on it and I thought the note was to the little black-eyed girl across the street.”

“ It wasn’t to the girl across the street.”

“I know it wasn’t, Roger. I discovered later for whom the note was really intended. But you did ‘get mad at me ’ (as we used to put it) that day and left me to walk the rest of the way home alone. I wouldn’t let you see that I cared and marched along with my nose in the air, but do you know what I did when you turned the corner and could not see ? I stole back and picked up the broken pieces, then ran all the way home and cried and cried and cried because I could not put them together again and make the slate as good as new. But you could not remain angry long and came in that evening with a stick of striped sugar candy as a peace offering. We made up again and ate the candy bite and bite in turn. Think of those days, Koger, shake hands and let’s be friends again just as we’ve always been.”

“I do think of those days, Jane. I think of all you were to me then and of all you have been to me ever since, and I cannot, simply cannot stand by and see you marry that miserable old man. Tell me,” and the man at the window wheeled suddenly and faced her. “ Tell me why you are doing it ? I have been thinking it over all night and I cannot believe you to be what I thought in the first shock of surprise and anger. If he were a younger man or a different sort of man, it would not be quite so hard to bear, though hard enough, God knows.”

<< Why do you say a different kind of a man, Eoger? You have never

THE BROKEN SLATE.

met Mr. Alford, so how can you judge what kind of man he is ? ”

“ I know what people say of him ; a man who stands alone in the world with not even one friend to call his own. A man who is absolutely worldly, hard and cynical, who has amassed great wealth, honestly to be sure, but has spent not one red cent on any creature but himself.”

“ There you are very wrong, Roger, because he has spent a great many, not cents, but dollars, upon me and mine.”

‘‘Upon you and yours? What do you mean ? ”

“ Well, if you will please sit down and listen patiently I would like very much to tell you a story. There, that’s better. You look much more comfy now. We’ll begin as they do in the fairy tales, only this is an absolutely true story I am going to tell you.

Once upon a time, and sometimes it seems ever and ever so long ago, and sometimes it might be only yesterday, there lived a little girl who was very much the same as a number of other little girls living at the same time. She had a dear kind father and mother, younger brothers and sisters and one very good friend, a boy a trifle older than she. Well, everything went along smoothly and beautifully until this little girl was about twelve years old. The boy friend was visiting relatives in the far West that winter so he knew nothing of what happened in his absence. You know the old saying about troubles never coming singly. It was certainly exemplifled in the case of this little girl. The father had never been a very strong man and that winter he had a severe illness from which he was slow to recover.

Three of the children died, leaving only the girl of twelve, a boy of two and a small baby of a few weeks old. I can tell you, Eoger, the mother was hard pressed that winter to keep a roof over their heads and bread in their mouths. When the father finally recovered, the position he had filled for fifteen years had been given to a younger and stronger man. He tried everywhere for work, but everywhere, his poor health told against him and at last they found themselves on the verge of starvation.

Now, this little girl had been thinking pretty hard for some time, and one day, instead of going to school where her mother had insisted upon keeping her despite all entreaties to be allowed to come home and help in the sewing by which the family was supported, she started off on her own account to look for work.

34:

There was a large factory not far from where she lived and she knew of girls who worked there and who were not much older than she. As I said, she was a queer little person in some ways, and, although frightened to death, she boldly marched into the office of the factory and demanded an interview with the owner himself. There were two or three office boys running errands, answering bells and inquiring into the business of all who entered. She tried each one in turn, only to be laughed at and not very politely refused. Still she persisted until one of the boys complained to a man clerk in the inner office. He came out and was peremptorily ordering her off the premises, when a very tall man with iron-gray hair, stern face and piercing gray eyes, appeared in a doorway behind them and stood for a second listening to the alterca-

THE BROKEN SLATE.

tion. The girl’s temper was up by that time, and she had quite a bad little temper too, and she stamped her foot and refused positively to stir from the place till she had seen the owner himself. The tall gray man stepped forward, with a look before which at any other time the girl would have fled immediately. Now, she was too thoroughly angry to notice.

“ ‘ You won’t leave until you’ve seen the owner of this place himself, won’t you ? ’ said the gray man.

^ No, I won’t,’ snapped the girl.

^^^And what, may I ask, do you wish to say to the owner of this factory?’ demanded the man with another glare down on the small girl before him.

‘ I’ll say what I have to say to the owner when I see him, not to you, thank you,’ retorted the girl, glaring back into the stern face. Then, seeing the horrified amazement of those who had watched the scene, the girl suddenly guessed the truth. Stepping quickly up to the tall man she held out her hand and, smiling very sweetly, said as politely as she knew how:

“ ‘ Oh ! sir, I’m very sorry I spoke like that. You see, I didn’t know. I suppose you must own this place yourself.’

“ ‘ Yes, young lady, I am the owner of this factory and now what can I do for you?’

“ ‘ Well, then,’ answered the girl, slipping her hand into one of his, ‘just take me to your private office and I’ll tell you all about it.’”

For a second, the gray man stared in blank astonishment. He wore a heavy fur coat and his automobile was at the door. An expression of grim amusement crossed his face as he drew out his watch and looked at it.

“ ‘ I’m ten minutes late for that Directors’ Meeting now,’ he muttered. Then, throwing open the door behind them, he passed through to his private office taking the girl with him.

“ In spite of the fact that a most important meeting was waiting for him, and a messenger had already been sent to request his immediate presence, that man, stern, cold, cynical as the world called him, listened kindly and patiently to the story of that little girl. He has told her since it was the spirit and temper of her that won him. As a rule, people feared, hated or fawned upon him; none before had dared defy him to his face. When she had finished, he said very gently :

“ DEEE JANE.’

“ ‘ How old are you, my dear ? ’

“ ‘ Just twelve.’

“ ‘ And you want to come here to work ? ’

“ ‘ Yes, sir, please ; indeed I do.’

“ ‘ You’re quite sure there is nothing else you want of me but that?’ and he looked searchingly at her.

‘“Quite, quite sure. If you give me work here I can help mother till father finds a position. Even if he does not, mother and I together can take care of the family.’